Goldilocks
by serialmother22
Summary: episode 2x5, Hardy has met with Jocelyn and comes back to his place. A different take on finding Ellie there. And Fred.


_author's note : Hi there ! This is my first fic, so i'm posting it here and will go hide right away. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes. It's a little drabble, nothing fancy but I thought I'd post it anyway because I wish we'd have more Broadchurch fics ! Please, if you have a little story written somewhere do post it, there is always someone who will enjoy it. I know I will :) Anyway, here is mine. Enjoy._

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Hardy was walking towards his little house.

Now that his affairs were in order he thought he'd sleep a couple of hours before he had to go to court. Miller would have left hours ago. He wondered briefly if she'd found something interesting in all the files and notes. She had seemed really focused when he had left. If she'd seen the state he was in, she'd never have let him walk away on his own and would probably have made him go lie down or worse: she could have called an ambulance.

The front door to his blue shack was open.

She couldn't still be here, could she?

He went in. The living room was a mess. Every inch of wall was covered with papers from the case. Bloody woman. Unbelievable. She must have been desperate to take her mind off of her own problems. Her purse was still on the table. Fred's toys were all over the floor.

Where were they?

He looked towards the bedroom and there she was, curled up on the bed with her little boy. Hardy was shocked. She had spent the whole night here, building up her case-wall like a madwoman and must have passed out from exhaustion. She wasn't even under the covers but she seemed relaxed, almost peaceful. She was on her side, one arm under his pillow, the other holding Fred close. He took the woollen throw off the sofa. He'd let her sleep a little longer, she needed it. As he was covering them he realised someone was looking at him expectantly.

Wee Fred was wide-awake, eyeing him curiously.

"Don't wake your mum. Go back to sleep." Hardy whispered.

Fred gave him a great big smile and held up his arms.

"Bloody Millers."

Hardy picked the boy up, careful not to wake his mother and went back to the sitting-room with him. Fred started babbling joyfully while gripping his neck with one hand and patting his bearded face with the other. For a moment Hardy was a bit lost. He was tired but he had to look after Fred. He cleared the sofa and sat down with the toddler. The baby's bag was there and a quick look inside gave Hardy a temporary solution: there was a ready-made bottle and some biscuits. He tentatively showed the bottle to the wee one who immediately went for it.

"Soon you'll be going for chips. I bet your mum can't wait."

Fred was looking right at him. It was like looking into Miller's eyes. There was warmth and innocence and most amazingly, trust.

"You're just like your mum, aren't you?" he whispered softly.

He suddenly felt truly exhausted. Maybe he could lie down with the boy while he was drinking his bottle. No harm in shutting his eyes for a second…

Miller's cooing woke him up a couple of hours later.

"Oooh! Hardy's just a big softie, isn't he Freddie?"

Baby babbling.

"That's right Freddie, wake him up! He snores, anyway!"

Suddenly, there were baby hands grabbing at his face and Hardy opened his eyes to see Fred's face next to his and the boy gave him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Up Dee! Up!"

"That's it Fred, get up Hardy!" Ellie was standing up by the sofa, looking at them with a knowing smile on her face.

"Bloody hell! I let you sleep and that's how you thank me, Miller? By sending your beast of a toddler to attack me!"

"Language! I didn't send him. You were cuddling together. I should have known you were a big softie when you offered to hug me! Your secret's out Hardy."

"Oh shut up Miller!" Hardy said grumpily but Ellie could see a faint blush creeping on his face.

Hardy sat up, Fred still in his lap. The boy was looking at him with a smile.

"Up Dee!"

"I'm up, I'm up! You're as annoying as your mother!"

"Oi! Be nice."

Hardy gave Fred a little hug and left him sitting on his own on the sofa with a baby book.

"So I have to be nice to Fred but I can't be nice to you?"

Miller's eyes were wide and misty for a second. She shook her head and quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, sorry for the mess. Let's go get some breakfast, I have a few questions for you and you're out of tea and bread." She said with an apologetic smile.

Hardy looked at her disbelievingly.

"You're bloody Goldilocks: you took my bed and my food! Unbelievable!"

"And you're a grumpy bear, so I suppose it's only fair." She replied cheekily.

She turned around to bundle Fred up in his coat and gathered her things up while Hardy got ready. She couldn't help but notice that he looked terrible and was a bit wobbly on his feet. She knew better than to ask if he was alright, that would start another fight. Still, she had an idea. She whispered to Fred:

"Is Hardy your new friend Freddie?"

"Dee! Dee!"

"I think Fred has picked you for stroller duty!"

"Dee!"

Hardy looked at her like she was mentally disturbed.

"You can't say "no" to a baby Hardy. He'll cry! You don't make babies cry too, do you? Although, I suppose…"

"You're killing me, Miller."

He picked Fred up, went outside, strapped him in the stroller and left her standing in there as he quickly walked away.

"Come on, Miller! We don't have all day!"

What a knob, Ellie thought.

"Wait for me!"

She shut the door and ran after them with a smile and a spring in her step.


End file.
